For nostalgia's sake
Over the last month, I have been reminded of many things that haven't crossed my mind in a long time. A few weeks back, while at work at a different location, I ran into an old manager I had not seen since starting with the company in 2020. He told me about a few roles he had worked in since the last time I saw him, and I was amazed - he had quickly covered a lot of ground. I walked away from the conversation with mixed feelings, excited to see him grow but convinced it was time to start to think about my future and next steps. Focus forward was my mindset when I left work that day, but God has a way of bringing you where he needs you.
A massive storm hit the area about a week later, affecting my workplace, and I was moved to a new location. As I transitioned into a new site - I felt so many emotions, but the biggest one initially was nostalgia. I had been to this site before, almost exactly 2 years ago. I remembered how excited I was to jump into a new chapter within the company two years ago and the exciting feeling that I would birth something magnificent while in Texas. I remembered how hard I had prayed to get where I was. There was so much excitement then, anticipation, preparation, and hopefulness- all those wistful feelings came rushing back to me. Nostalgia. Nostalgia is what you're feeling, is what the Holy Spirit whispered to me, and it's been hard for me to shake it off for weeks, and now I know why. While I wanted to focus forward, God needed me to remember. Because when you remember how good God has been to you, a fire is activated inside you- you start birthing dreams and making the enemy mad. You walk a little more confidently, knowing you have survived 100% of your bad days and God is not only the Lamb but also the Lion on your side. You start believing again…my God, you start trusting again. You start moving again and stirring up the gift. You start being the salt of the earth again. You begin to see yourself with no limitations or ailments. You start to rise up again. All when you remember, and it was precisely the fuel I needed.
Last week my man and I went to grab food, and we went to a place about an hour away from the house- the GPS took us through this familiar town, and I was telling him wow, this was the city I visited that made me fall more in love with the idea of moving here. As we drove through the streets, every feeling I felt from my 2019 visit came rushing back, and I couldn't help but smile and say to myself, " Wow, you did just what you said. Look at you now. I felt blessed, and I felt heard by God. I was riding through what was once a seed in my mind. Sometimes we must take a beat and remember how far God has brought us. Many people don't like to live in the past, and I don't blame them. I had some pains in the past, but the pains made us who we are today. When I sat in a moment of gratitude for how far God has brought me, I was reminded of the season of solitude, dedication, preparation, and work I put in. I was reminded of Proverbs 30:5 " Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. I was reminded of Deuteronomy 31:8 and Psalms 119:50, when things looked bleak, and hope was fading. And I sat in awe of God, and what used to be nostalgia became my present-day moment of gratefulness and no longer a sentimental longing for what was but a joyous praise for what is because God is ever-present. His word is active. He is a present help and the living God.
Take the time to remember how far God has brought you.
Take the time to recognize his power to bring ALL things together. Take time to meditate and stir up the gift, hope, and dreams that lay stagnant inside you. I need you to recall so that you don't give up too soon or live a life of mediocrity when you have permission to subdue the earth. When you do- when you just simply allow yourself to remember, joy will leap in your belly because you'll know that without a doubt, God has been your strong tower and your source all along, and you have the power to live a whole and abundant life, and then you go out in the world, and you do it- you live and become a beacon of hope and light for others. Do it- remember. And reignite the fire that is inside of you.
And remember that if it's not good, God's not done, and then go out and be the fruit of the almighty God.